Sweden and Fiji Proposal to Save World’s Oceans

The United Nations General Assembly will today adopt a resolution to give impetus to the work to protect the world’s oceans. Sweden and Fiji initiated the resolution, which has received backing from more than 90 countries from all continents, including small island nations.

“It is very gratifying that the resolution will be passed with such broad support. This is an important step towards creating a global partnership to save the world’s oceans,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin.

“Flourishing, healthy oceans are fundamental if we are to combat poverty and create prosperity for millions of people,”Ms Lövin continues.

In September, the UN Member States adopted 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development, of which SDG 14 aims to conserve oceans and marine resources. Sweden and Fiji are working together to give impetus to the implementation of this goal, and to ensure that there is a structure for follow-up in place. The resolution is a first step in the creation of an international partnership. It establishes that a global High-level United Nations Conference will be held in Fiji in June 2017. The conference is intended to result in concrete recommendations on how the work to implement SDG 14 will continue. Political leaders and representatives of the business sector and civil society will be invited to attend.

“The High-level Conference will serve to maintain the political pressure. We also hope to address the current lack of coordination between marine stakeholders,” says Ms Lövin.

The state of our oceans is very serious, and this is an issue that transcends national borders. Populations of fish and marine vertebrates in the world’s oceans are now half what they were in 1970. Climate change, unsustainable fisheries, ocean acidification and environmental pollutants affect marine ecosystems. The deteriorating marine environment has the harshest impact on people in the poorest countries.